Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Red velvet and cheesecake are the perfect combo. Turn that into a brownie and I am sold! For these bars I start with a graham cracker crust which lends a slightly crunchy texture and adds to the cheesecake feel. You could use vanilla wafer or sugar cookie crumbs in place of the graham cracker if you’d like.

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The trick to a layered and swirled brownie is baking in stages. The crumb crust gets a short bake to firm it up and make it crunchy (yay texture!) The brownie base then gets baked until set before swirling the cheesecake and more brownie batter on top. This prevents the cheesecake swirls from disappearing into the brownie as it bakes.

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

YIELD: 16 Brownies
*CRUST*
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
⅛ teaspoon fine salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
5 Tablespoons butter, melted
-Preheat Oven to 350*. Grease a 9×9 pan and line with parchment so parchment extends up sides. Combine crumb ingredients, press evenly into bottom of pan. Bake 11-12 minutes until golden/fragrant. Set aside.
*BROWNIE*
11 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon red food color
1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon AP flour
-In medium bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar, cocoa, vinegar, salt and baking powder. Stir with a spatula to combine. Add the egg, vanilla and red food color and mix well until combined. Measure the flour, whisk if lumpy and then stir into the wet ingredients. RESERVE ⅓ CUP BATTER FOR TOPPING. Pour remaining batter over the hot crust and bake at 350* for 22-24 minutes until the center is puffed and not jiggly. While brownie bakes prepare cheesecake.
*CHEESECAKE*
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Pinch fine salt
2 Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
-Mix the soft cream cheese & sugar until very smooth. Add salt and sour cream, mix until smooth. Add egg yolk & vanilla and stir until smooth (do not beat air into batter.) Pour cheesecake over just baked brownie, it will smooth easily. Place reserved brownie batter in sandwich bag and cut off tip. Pipe lines of brownie batter across cheesecake and use toothpick to swirl slightly. Turn oven down to 325* and bake until cheesecake is no longer jiggly in center, 18-20 mins. Cool completely then chill for a few hours before slicing.

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